The present invention relates generally to a hole plugging device and more particularly to a device and method for inserting a cork plug into a hole drilled in the concrete foundation of a building for termite control purposes.
The professional extermination of termites from an infested building can at times be both time-consuming and tedious. Typically, a professional exterminator begins the treatment of an infested building by drilling a series of holes through the concrete foundation of the building to the underlying soil. The holes, which are usually uniformly spaced and disposed along the entire periphery of the concrete foundation, are made to provide the exterminator with direct access to the underlying soil. Using the holes as conduits to the underlying soil, the exterminator pours a measured volume of a termite-killing agent, such as Dursban-TC, into each hole. The termite-killing agent passes through the hole and is absorbed by the soil to form an impenetrable barrier between the concrete foundation and the underlying soil. The barrier utilizes the principle that termites inside a building must return to soil within 48 hours to avoid death by dehydration. Accordingly, those termites that are trapped inside the building by the barrier die of dehydration within days. In addition to ridding the building of termites, the barrier also keeps the building termite-free by preventing a future influx of termites.
Having introduced the termite-killing agent to the soil, the exterminator then embarks on the process of filling the holes made in the concrete foundation. Typically, the exterminator begins by inserting a cork plug into each hole to a desired depth. After plugging all the holes, the exterminator then pours concrete into each hole to fill that portion of the hole above the plug. As can easily be recognized, these steps can be very time consuming and tedious. For example, the exterminator must bend over at each hole to insert the plug. Moreover, the exterminator must relay on his fingers as the sole means for pushing the cork plug down into the hole to the desired depth, which is typically a few inches.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,604,170 to L. A. Leffler, there is disclosed a device for plugging oil well casings, the device comprising an expandable plug and a pipe string for lowering said expandable plug into said oil well casing.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,425,733 to W. O. Hollingsworth, there is disclosed a device for inserting a plate into a coke oven standpipe, the device comprising an elongated tubular body having a ram fixed to the lower end of said body. A rod is mounted within said body which rotates and moves axially of the body. A tab is located at the lower end of that rod which projects below the ram. Movement of the tab engages the plate against the ram.
Other known patents of interest include U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,549 to J. Lowery, U.S. Pat. No. 4,183,570 to M. W. Broyles et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,502,722 to C. J. Rocquin, U.S. Pat. No. 3,295,840 to H. Banks Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,595,223 to R. L. Hawie, U.S. Pat. No. 4,615,555 to J. E. Bateham, U.S. Pat. No. 4,210,353 to B. L. Koontz, U.S. Pat. No. 4,249,763 to R. Provencher et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,183,031 to G. C. Haberstick, U.S. Pat. No. 4,563,029 to L. L. Luberacki, U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,741 to G. J. Muti, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,601,966 to B. J. Kerry.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved device for inserting a cork plug into a hole made in the concrete foundation of a building for termite control purposes.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device as described above that is easy to manufacture, can be mass produced, and is easy to operate.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a device as described above that eliminates the need to bend down.
It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide a device as described above that has a minimal number of parts.
It is still yet a further object of the present invention to provide a device as described above that is capable of inserting a cork plug into a hole to a pre-determined depth.
It is still yet an even further object of the present invention to provide a method for inserting a cork plug into a hole made in the concrete foundation of a building for termite control purposes.